UH Mānoa College of Education offers new degree

On January 20, the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents approved a new, nontraditional doctoral degree for the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa College of Education —the Doctor of Education in Professional Educational Practice (EdD). The EdD is a professional practice doctorate uniquely designed for education professionals already working in the field.

An information session will be held on Saturday, January 29 at 10:00 a.m. in the UH Mānoa School of Architecture Auditorium.

The advanced degree program is intended for principals, superintendents, curriculum specialists, teachers and clinical teacher educators at all levels, professional staff at organizations, community college leadership, and others working in education or training related fields. The aim of the program is to develop a collaborative professional community in which experienced leaders in the field work with participants, focusing on real problems in real settings.

Courses are conducted in a combination of face-to-face and online instruction during weekends, summers, and evenings to accommodate work schedules. Rather than a dissertation, candidates will complete a group consultancy project centered on a real problem in the field and then complete an individual action research project focused on a problem of practice in their own work setting.

The curriculum for this unique degree was jointly developed by faculty from across the college working hand-in-hand with representatives from the Hawai‘i Department of Education (DOE), the Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools (HAIS), Kamehameha Schools, and the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges. More than 200 individuals have already expressed interest in this new degree.

HAIS Executive Director Robert Witt and former DOE Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto wrote to Dean Christine Sorensen two years ago recommending the creation of a professional practice degree to better address the emerging 21st century needs of public and private school leaders. “Thanks to Dean Sorensen’s advocacy and the outstanding work of Professor Hunter McEwan and his design team, this new approach to improving and advancing leadership practice will soon be underway,” said Witt. “Ultimately, this degree will benefit student learning in classrooms all across the state.”